COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s soccer team begins the 2017 regular season by hosting the 12th-annual Wolstein Classic this weekend where it will take on Pitt Friday and FIU Sunday at Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. James Madison rounds out the tournament field and open the tournament against FIU at 4 p.m. Friday then meeting Pitt at 4 p.m. Sunday.

OPENING NIGHTThe Buckeyes are 27-26-11 in lidlifters all-time and 8-8-4 under 21st-year head coach John Bluem. They have opened their home field 15 times under the current regime, going 8-4-3 in those outings.

ABOUT THE WOLSTEINSThe annual Bert and Iris Wolstein Classic, now in its 12th year, is named in honor of the family that first brought professional soccer to Ohio in 1979. From 1979-1988, the late Bert Wolstein (2004) was the owner and president of the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Since them, the Wolstein support of Ohio State has been nothing short of generous. The most recent major act of a giving was a $1.5 million gift to the Department of Athletics, resulting in the naming of the field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, as part of a $4.9 million total gift to the university in September 2012. The Wolsteins previously made a major contribution in 2001 to the Ohio Stadium renovation project, prompting the dedication of the Iris S. and Bert L. Wolstein Football Center in the southwest tower.

EARLY BIRDSThe Buckeyes are 18-11-7 all-time in their early season home tournament, including a 9-5-6 mark in the last 10 seasons. Ohio State has captured the tournament title six times (2006-2009, 2011 and 2012). Last year, the team lost in overtime in both games against Virginia Tech and UC Santa Barbara.

SOME NOTES ON THE BUCKEYES

Ohio State returns four starters from the 2016 squad and welcomes 18 newcomers. Fifteen of the 18 newcomers are freshmen. The Buckeyes lost nine letterwinners and seven starters from the team that finished 5-13-1 overall and 3-4-1 in conference play.

The Scarlet and Gray bring back their leading point scorer in senior forward Nate Kohl, a second team All-Big Ten selection with 14 points (6g, 2a), a year ago. Junior midfielder Abdi Mohamed, honored as a second team selection, also returns after scoring 11 points (4g, 3a). Goalkeeper Parker Siegfried is back too after earning All-Big Ten Freshmen honors in 2016.

The Buckeyes were picked seventh in the Big Ten preseason poll announced last week. Maryland was the preseason favorite followed by Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan and Penn State.

Senior back Hunter Robertson joined Kohl and Mohamed on the Big Ten Preseason Honor List.

The 2017 incoming class ranked seventh in the country by College Soccer News. The Buckeyes were one of four schools in the nation to have three straight Top 10 classes along with North Carolina, Wake Forest and Virginia. The group hails from three different countries, while five members are natives of Ohio. The incoming Buckeyes feature seven defenders, five forwards, four midfielders and two goalkeepers.

A LOOK AT PITTThe Panthers are making their first trip to Columbus since the 1990 campaign. Pitt returns 12 players from a year ago and added 10 new faces to the roster. Head coach Jay Vidovich enters his second year at the helm of the Pitt soccer program. Highlighting the returners is senior defender Bryce Cregan, junior defender Tom Moxham and redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Mikal Outcalt all of whom played significant minutes in 2016. Pitt leads the all-time series, 6-4-2. The Buckeyes won the last meeting by a 1-0 score in Columbus in 2003.

SCOUTING FIUThe Panthers return to Columbus for the first time in six years. FIU was picked to finish third in the C-USA Preseason coaches’ poll, while three players were placed on the All-Conference USA Preseason Team. Headlining the trio is junior forward Santiago Patino who was tabbed the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Joining Patino on the preseason team was senior defender Paul Marie and sophomore midfielder Joris Ahlinvi. The Panthers, led by first-year head coach Kevin Nylen, finished 2016 with a 10-7-2 record and advanced to their second-straight C-USA Tournament championship game. Ohio State defeated FIU, 3-1, in the 2011 edition of the Wolstein Classic.

JAMES MADISON PREVIEWThe Dukes were voted to finish the season tied with College of Charleston in sixth place in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason coaches’ poll. Redshirt junior forward Billy Metzler was tabbed an All-CAA honorable mention. JMU won five of its last six games in 2016, including a four-match win streak to end the season. The Dukes are guided by third-year head coach Tom Foley.

FREE FOR ALL The Buckeyes’ schedule includes 11 matches at Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium this season with home Big Ten action kicking off Sept. 12 against Penn State. Admission is free to all Ohio State men’s soccer regular-season home games.

HOME BROADCAST SCHEDULE Ohio State will be shown on the Big Ten Network against Penn State Sept. 12 in Columbus. Ten additional regular season home games will be streamed online through BTN Plus with one remaining home game on BuckeyeVision on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. The semifinals and final of the Big Ten Tournament Nov. 10-12 also will be shown live on BTN.

THE COACHING STAFF Ohio State is under the direction of 21st-year head coach John Bluem. The 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Bluem has guided the team to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances (2000-01-04-05-07-08-09-10-14-15), four Big Ten championships (2000-07-09-15) and a College Cup Final in 2007. Bluem’s career record sits at 284-171-68 (.608) and has claimed four conference coach of the year awards (most by an active B1G coach). He is two wins shy of 200 in his career at Ohio State. He is assisted by Ian Gordona, who was promoted to associate head coach heading into his fourth season at his alma mater. Joining the staff this past off-season was assistant coach Adam Pearce, who will be coaching the Buckeye goalkeepers this fall. Matt Appel, a member of the 2016 team, will be a student assistant coach this fall.

UP NEXT Ohio State will continue its four-game homestand with a non-conference match against Lehigh Sept. 1 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. That match will be available on BTN Plus ($).